Rwanda

Rwanda

Rwanda is a land of great diversity and beauty. Popularly known as ‘the land of a thousand hills’, Rwanda has five volcanoes, twenty-three lakes and numerous rivers, some forming the source of the great River Nile.

The landscapes in this ‘green country’ are truly breathtaking. Rwanda’s mountainous topography is a product of her position on the eastern rim of the Albertine Rift Valley, part of the Great Rift Valley which cuts through Africa from the Red Sea to Mozambique, forming a mountain range that traverses the country from north to south.

It is one of the most scenic tourist destinations that qualify to be a photographer’s paradise because it boasts wonderful people, awe-inspiring lakes, astonishing scenery, just right climate, rare species of apes particularly the mountain gorillas and an amazing irregular landscape whose valleys and peaks combine with the sky to produce captivating moods. The West coast of the country overlooks the beautiful shores of Lake Kivu.

Rwanda is blessed with abundance of natural beauty and breath taking scenery. The land of 1000 hills has tremendous topographical breath taking scenery, including the Rift Valley with its Volcano Mountains, lakes and ancient granitic hills.

Rwanda is a small landlocked country in Central Africa bounded by Uganda in the north; by Burundi in the south; on the East is Tanzania; and in the west is the Democratic Republic of Congo. Rwanda is an extraordinary place where serene scenery and placid people greet you at every juncture. Rwanda is safe and secure with an overwhelming renaissance of national pride and cultural reconstruction. It is full of sights and delights, waiting to be explored.

The country is well known mostly because of its horrible past that culminated into genocide in 1994. Rwanda is experiencing a tourism rebound after falling off the map post-genocide. Due its small size, Rwanda tourist attractions are near each other and can be reached quite easily and safely.

Bordering Rwanda's eastern neighbor Tanzania, Akagera National Park is decidedly different. Dominated scenically by the labyrinth of swamps and lakes that follow the meandering course of the Akagera River, the most remote source of the Nile, this is archetypal African savannah landscape of tangled acacia woodland interspersed with open grassland. Akagera National Park is, above all, big game country! Herds of Elephant and Buffalo emerge from the woodland to drink at the lakes, while lucky visitors might stumble across a Leopard, a Spotted Hyena or even a stray Lion.

Lake Kivu is the largest of numerous freshwater lakes that shimmer in the valleys of Rwanda. Steep terraced hills lead down to the picturesque lakeshore, and the small lakeside villages offer a rewarding glimpse of rural life. Birdlife around the lakes is fantastic including large numbers of pelicans, crowned cranes, malachite kingfishers and much more. Travellers delight in exploring the three colourful lakeside resort towns, including the largest, Gisenyi.

Nyungwe Forest is in southern Rwanda and is East Africa's largest protected high-altitude rainforest. Nyungwe only recently gained National park status. Contiguous with Kibira National Park in Burundi, Nyungwe's biodiversity is astonishing by African standards and is one of the most endemic species-rich areas in all of Africa. Among other natural marvels, this virgin forest is home to 13 species of primates, 100 varieties of orchids, about 300 species of birds and a river that is one of the sources of the Nile. The numerous hiking trails are ideal for primate trackers, botanists and bird-lovers.

Located in the Virunga Mountains, magnificent chain of dormant volcanoes in the North of Rwanda, the Volcanoes National Park forms part of the extension of the Congo-Nile divide, separating two of Africa´s most important watersheds. They´re also home to the world´s last surviving mountain Gorilla populations, currently a mere 800 individuals. This stunning backdrop is host to over half the world's wild mountain gorillas.